The Wishing Spell

Two children discover a secret world teeming with mythical creatures — shares The Wishing Spell's portal-fantasy energy and wonder-first storytelling.

Fans searching for books like The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer will find a lot to love in Katherine Rundell's Impossible Creatures. Like The Wishing Spell, it centers on a young protagonist who stumbles into a hidden world — in this case, an archipelago where every creature from mythology still exists. Both books are driven by a sense of pure discovery: the joy of finding out that the impossible is real. Rundell writes with the same cross-generational warmth that made Colfer's series a hit with kids and their parents alike. The pacing is quick, the creatures are inventive, and the emotional core — about belonging, courage, and the cost of keeping magical worlds secret — will resonate with any reader who felt a pull toward Alex and Conner's fairy-tale landscape. A strong next pick for readers aged 9–13.

A child crosses into an extraordinary hidden world full of whimsy and peril — the same sense of wide-eyed wonder that powers The Wishing Spell.

If you liked The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory scratches the same itch: a relatable, good-hearted child steps through a threshold into a world that shouldn't exist, where the rules are different and every corner holds a new surprise. Roald Dahl's darkly comic imagination pairs well with Colfer's lighter fairy-tale tone — both authors trust young readers to handle tension and moral stakes without needing everything to be safe or predictable. The factory, like the Land of Stories, is built on familiar cultural myths (sweets, childhood fantasy) remixed into something fresh. Charlie Bucket and Alex Bailey are cut from similar cloth: quiet, bookish kids who prove themselves through earnestness rather than brute strength. A classic that holds up for any reader who wants the portal-fantasy feeling without leaving middle grade.

A child slips into a secret world outside normal time — same portal-fantasy wonder as The Wishing Spell, with a quieter, more atmospheric emotional payoff.

For readers who connected with The Wishing Spell's central idea — that an ordinary child can fall into an extraordinary hidden world — Tom's Midnight Garden is a timeless companion read. When Tom discovers that his uncle's garden exists only at night and belongs to another era entirely, the book becomes a meditation on imagination, loss, and the places we escape to when the real world feels too small. Where The Wishing Spell is fast and adventure-driven, Philippa Pearce's classic is quieter and more atmospheric, rewarding patient readers with a genuinely moving ending. It's a strong pick for the reader who liked The Wishing Spell but wants something that lingers emotionally rather than racing to the next plot beat. Recommended for ages 9 and up, and frequently cited on 'books like The Wishing Spell' lists for its similarly transportive sense of place.